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Poppies and Remembrance

Remembrance Day is also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day . It is a Commonwealth holiday to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war.

It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 when the major hostilities of World War I were formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" with the German signing of the Armistice.

The day is sometimes known as Poppy Day because poppies have been worn and laid as wreaths. The poppy's significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare.

Poppies have other benefits too. They are not just a flower for remembrance, their seeds are also advantageous in providing health benefits to human body.

Adding flavour - Poppy seeds are good at adding flavour to a number of food items like breads, rolls, cookies and cakes.

Cooking - Poppy seeds are also used in cooking different dishes like vegetables, noodles and fishes to add flavour and aroma to these items.

Mineral source - Poppy seeds act as source for a variety of minerals like iodine, manganese, magnesium, zinc and copper.

Other important ingredients – Poppy seeds also offer a number of ingredients, which include thiamine, riboflavin, lecithin, oxalic acid, pentosans and amorphous alkaloid.

Enzymes - Poppy seeds also help in enhancing the enzymes like diastase, emulsin, lipase and nuclease in the human body.

Fatty acids - These seeds are also good sources of fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids, which are required by human body to ensure good health. Thus, you may consume these seeds in various forms and foods to supply these acids to body.

Carbohydrates - Poppy seeds may also be considered as good sources of carbohydrates and thus, these are helpful in enhancing the level of energy supplied to human body for routine functions.

Digestion - Poppy seeds are also considered as useful remedies for facilitating effective process of digestion in human body.